That's What Takes Me Higher
by Talisa
Summary: Phoebe has a secret......


*Phoebe*  
I ducked beneath his bolt of energy, and kicked his legs out from under him. Piper froze him while he was flying backwards and Prue looked to me to recite the spell to vanquish Topaklion.  
"Lower than hell, that is where your soul will sit in torment. With all..." My mind went blank. I couldn't remember the last few verses of the spell.  
"Phoebe, say the rest of the rest of the spell before he un-freezes!" Piper warned. I had never done this before, I always remembered the spell and was the 'go to sister' if Prue or Piper needed a quick one.  
"I can't. I don't remember the rest!" I answered. A great tidal wave of embarrassment and fear washed over my body as I saw both of my sisters give a surprised look.  
"Prue, astral back to the Manor and look up the spell again. I swear to God I can't remember the rest." Prue looked hesitant but the closed her eyes and her body, still standing, went limp and I knew she did what I had instructed.  
"Phoebe, what's wrong with you lately? It's not like you to forget spells." Piper shot a concerned look at me. I didn't answer, the demon unfroze and crashed into a near by wall. He, or what I would assume to be a he, rose to his feet, angrier than ever.   
He threw another bolt, this time at Piper, I dove, pushed her out of the line of the attack and the blast hit me hard in the stomach. It threw me back against the far wall. I was unusually winded from the blast but I got up and searched for Piper.  
I found her backed into a corner, too scared to use her powers, the demon leaned over her the grazed the side of her cheek lightly but with a finger outfitted with a claw, it made a deep cut in the side of her face. Her eyes were slammed shut, holding back the pain she wasn't about to give him the pleasure of seeing.   
That's what I like about her; she can be the sweetest thing on Earth, gentle, kind, and a little eccentric at times; but if you ever tried to hurt her for pleasure she would put on 'Super Piper' strong, resilient, untouchable to pretty much everyone. That was the mode Piper was in now; she wasn't about to be a cheap scare for a run-of the-mill demon.  
"Get away from her, you bastard!" I ran up behind him jumping on his back. That was about the time Prue decided to come back to us. Topaklion was spinning around trying to get me off his back, his hand reached my right arm but he didn't gently graze it this time.  
"Prue, spell now!" Piper instructed. My arm started to gush blood, my vision was getting a little blurry, and my hand started to become numb, so needless to say I lost my grip and fell to the ground. Thank god it wasn't a power of three spell because as soon as I hit the ground I felt like I was on the brink of consciousness.   
My head started to pound and I felt the blood that was rushing from my arm start to soak into my shirt. Prue got done reading the spell and the demon exploded in a puff of smoke. I managed to roll over to my back and prop myself up on a nearby windowsill. Leo orbed in and helped Piper up and was about to heal the cut on her cheek when she pointed over to me.   
I was stumbling over to join the rest of the group, even though I felt like I had just run a hundred mile marathon. I reached Prue and she let me lean on her as I tried to regain my balance, I don't think anybody realized just how bad my injury was until I fell over again, this time with it draped across my stomach revealing enough of my shredded arm for them to take a hint.  
"Phoebe!" Piper gasped, while Prue took off the shirt she had on over another top to try and soak up some of the excess the bleeding.  
"Leo!" Prue signaling that I needed to be healed right away. In the backround they must have heard something because instead healing me right then and there he orbed all three of us back to the manor. I felt like I was floating on air, Prue was probably taking me over the couch with her power.  
"Phoebe just hold on, okay honey?" Piper said to me in a soothing voice after Prue had set me down. I lie down on the couch lengthwise, while Prue and Piper sat next to my legs; Leo made his way to the upper portion of my body.  
"Now hold out your arm like this Pheebs. Yeah that's it. Now just hold very still." He instructed. He placed his hands gently over my cut. Cut, that was an understatement, but it was the only thing my throbbing head could come up with for the time being. His hands started to glow, warming my skin; it felt a little like sitting out under a warm summer sun.  
"What's taking so long, Leo?" Prue asked. I could hear the fear peak in her voice.  
"I don't know." He answered. I adjusted my gaze from the ceiling to my sisters and my surrogate brother, uncertainty painted all over their faces. But a few minutes later everything was fine, my arm was healed and I was wrapped up in a bear hug from all three of them.  
"Don't you dare scare us like that again." Prue advised.  
"Okay, next time I won't save Piper." I said jokingly. I slowly got up with the help of Leo and make my way up stairs. Once I was alone in my room and Leo was back downstairs with Prue and Piper, I went over to my bed and tried to catch my breath. That was about the time Cole shimmered in.  
"Hey stranger! 'Bout time you got here. You know you have impeccable timing?" I said with a sly smile. He walked over to the side of the bed, gave me a small kiss on the top of my forehead, and then joined me on the bed.  
"Why? What happened?" He asked as he lay back on the bed staring up at the ceiling.  
"Topaklion, for one thing." I answered as now laid back placing my head on his chest.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know, I would've helped but I was arranging our dinner plans for tomorrow night." He started to play with my hair, twisting it around his finger, and soothingly brushing it behind my ear.  
"Just your average demon. It wasn't a big thing." I lied. Of course if he were to ask Prue or Piper, I would've been on the brink of death 'no thanks to him'. There was no need to worry him over nothing. I guess you could say we were made for each other, one of the most powerful good witches of her time and the legendary Baltazaar, a match made somewhere that definitely wasn't heaven.  
Sometimes I liked being protected by him, but this was not one of those times. I like feeling as powerful as my reputation writes me up as, but that feeling always has to compete with love for my legendary demon.  
"Something tells me you're not telling me everything, but that doesn't bother me. You know why?"  
"Why?" I looked up at him.  
"Because I can always tickle it out of you." He said with a laugh as he started to tickle my sides and under my arms. We rolled around my bed tickling each other, even though my tickling was futile because demons apparently aren't that ticklish, but we still enjoyed the chase. We were still running around the room, laughing and giggling, when the door opened and Piper and Leo stood in the doorway.  
"I see you're feeling better, Pheebs." Piper laughed. We stopped, by then the tickling match had turned into a wrestling match that Cole was easily winning. I was on top of Cole's shoulders preparing to be thrown on the bed when they had come in. Cole spun around in surprise and then laughed himself when he saw who had caught us. I made my way off his shoulders and stood on top of my bed,  
"So what do you guys want?" I asked a bit annoyed.  
"We were just checking in on you before we went to bed." Piper explained. I noticed they were both outfitted in robes and pajamas.  
"Actually, could I talk to you for a second Phoebe?" Leo asked when Piper had left to go their room.  
"Sure. I'll be right back." I told Cole and then followed Leo out into the hall.  
"So what's up?" I asked, leaning back against the wall.  
"Not here. Let's go down stairs." He answered. He led me down the hall, toward the stairs, but we were stopped before we got there.  
"Where are you two going?" Prue said as she leaned out from her doorway.  
"Uh…late night snack before bed." Leo quickly explained. She looked us both over, even though I still had all my clothes on from that day. After a while she seemed satisfied with the excuse and went back into her room. Leo continued down the stairs and went into the kitchen. I followed still very confused by Leo's weird behavior; I made myself comfortable on one of the stools while Leo stood on the other side of the counter.  
"Are you feeling better?" he asked.  
"Yeah, why?" I answered, leaning forward on my elbows.  
"Oh no reason. I was just worried for a while. I can usually heal you guys like that." He said with a snap of his fingers.  
"Well, maybe it's because I lost so much blood." He raised an eyebrow in skepticism but didn't say anything more. I shrugged my shoulders, hugged him goodnight, and went back to my room. Cole had fallen asleep watching some nature show. I laughed silently to myself and got into bed. After I had moved him into a more comfortable position so he wouldn't have a sore back in the morning, I clicked off the TV and went to sleep.  
************************************************************************************************************  
The next morning I awoke to find that I was alone in bed, and as I sat up to wake up some more I saw Leo in the corner looking out the window.  
"Leo?" He turned towards me.  
"Hey. I didn't realize that you were up."  
"Uh, yeah. Where's Cole?"  
"He's downstairs, Piper's helping him make breakfast for you." I smiled. Cole could be so romantic sometimes. It was actually a big help this morning since I still wasn't feeling quite like myself.  
"He started to make it himself, but he almost burnt down the kitchen. That's when Piper decided she'd like to keep the kitchen the way it is." He chuckled.   
"It looks beautiful out today. Maybe we can have a little family picnic lunch later?" I came to stand next to him.  
"Yeah that sounds like a good idea. You wanna head downstairs and see if whatever Cole tried to make is edible?" He said as we started to head towards the door.  
"Okay. I'll meet you down there, I gotta run a brush through my hair first so I don't scare Prue and Piper." He laughed and went downstairs. I headed to the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and took out a prescription bottle. I had to get rid of the killer headache I was having if I was ever going to seem normal to everyone. I shook out two pills and quickly swallowed them.   
I felt a wave of dizziness sweep over me as I closed the cabinet, my hands slipped but I didn't fall. Two hands from behind caught me before I hit the ground. When I had regained my balance I looked back through the mirror to see who had caught me.  
"Leo, I suppose you want me to tell you what those pills are?" I didn't bother to turn around.  
"No. I know what they are." The look on his face was in the middle of mad and concerned.  
"Then I suppose 'they' told you the rest?" I turned to face him.  
"This morning. Were you even going to tell anyone?" he asked.  
"I was thinking about it."  
"Your sisters deserve to know. Not to mention Cole." I walked past him and into the hall.  
"You don't always know what's best for me Leo. I'll make my own decisions, and that means telling them when I want to. I'm a big girl, Leo, so I'll trust you to respect my wishes and not tell Piper or Prue?" He came face to face with me.  
"Phoebe, your like a sister to me and I love you but..."  
"So then, are you going to treat me like an adult or tattle on me like I was a child? The decision is yours Leo." I didn't wait for him to respond, I walked downstairs to breakfast.  
  
Later, when everyone was finished with Cole's surprisingly decent pancakes, we had moved out to the living room and everyone was on their second cup of coffee, Leo finally spoke up.  
"Hey Piper," He said and then nonchalantly glanced at me, I gave him a warning look, and he focused his eyes back to Piper who was curled up next to him.  
"Phoebe suggested something earlier that I think is a good idea."  
"What's that?" she asked looking up at him.  
"How 'bout this afternoon we have a little family picnic out on the front lawn?"  
"Ooo, sounds good. Great idea Pheebs!" Prue said getting up to get herself another cup of coffee. I leaned into Cole and smiled. At least Leo was being smart.  
*************************************************************************************************************  
It was a couple of months later and Leo had still not spilled the beans. Even though if I showed a little sign of weakness, he would rush to aid a little too fast, not that Prue or Piper noticed.  
I had just gotten back from going to lunch with a friend and when I entered the Manor I saw Prue with her head in her hands on the stairs and Piper who was in the middle of pacing in front of her.  
I closed the door behind me and raised an eyebrow at them.  
"Got anything to tell us lately, Pheebs?" Piper stopped pacing and was advancing on me full speed.   
"Like?" I said skeptically, no need to tell them something they didn't already know.  
"Like something to fill in the blanks of this very interesting message we got on the machine this afternoon." Prue answered as she got up from the stairs and pushed the button on the answering machine.  
'This is San Francisco Memorial calling for a Miss Phoebe Halliwell. We just wanted to remind you that when you are done with your prescription, your appointment with Dr. Jacobs is at 2:30 on Monday to discuss your options. Thanks.' Prue looked up at me.  
"I don't know what they're talking about." I played dumb and tried not to look as guilty as I felt. I always hated lying to my sisters.  
"Yeah, we were skeptical at first too, but then I found this." Piper answered throwing me the prescription bottle with the three pills left inside.  
"Explain." Prue commanded. Leo orbed in around that time.  
"Jeez, get the whole cavalry. Let me guess you're here to tell them incase I don't?" I told him and walked into the living room.  
"Nope, I'm here for moral support."  
"What? You told him before us?" I could see that Prue felt a little betrayed and if I didn't act fast this would end up looking like the 'Cole and the Vanquish' argument.  
"No, I didn't tell him. 'They' told him. Not like there's anything he can do about it."  
"What?" Piper said sitting down next to Prue on the couch. Leo could tell I was going need some help getting this off my chest, so he came to sit down by the window with me.  
"I, I..." I started but the words didn't come out.  
"You want me to help." I nodded. He got up and got a notepad.  
"Write it down." I scribbled a little message down and Leo gave it to them. They both looked shocked beyond belief.  
"Isn't there anything the doctors can do?" Prue asked as she made her way over to me.  
"No, it's like so end stage or something that there's nothing that anyone can do. Not even Leo." A tear rolled down my check.  
"How long?" Piper asked while she rubbed my back.  
"Two or three months." They all started to cry.  
*************************************************************************************************************  
It was exactly two months and two weeks later while we were in the middle of vanquishing Fequengdop when I realized this would be the last demon I would rid the world of. He disappeared in a puff of smoke cursing us like they usually do.  
"Great job Phoebe." We got back into the car and drove back to the Manor. When we got inside, everything was dark, probably because it was one or two in the morning and no one was up except us.   
"I think I'm going to go take a shower and get this goo out of my hair." Prue said as she climbed the stairs.  
"How 'bout I make us a REALLY early breakfast?"  
"Sounds great. I'm starving." I told her as she headed into the kitchen. I made my way into the living room and sat down on the couch to take a few deep breaths. I found myself to tired and so I laid down to take a little nap before I ate.   
I heard Leo orb somewhere next to me. I opened my eyes to look up at him but chest felt like it was on fire. He had tears in his eyes as he knelt down beside me.  
"It's time, isn't it?" He nodded, wiped a few more tears away and placed his hands over me. I closed my as I felt like I was being surrounded in a warm summer sun again. I breathed one last time and felt my body shut down, to sleep forever.  
*************************************************************************************************************  
I was floating above my body and Leo. He removed his hands and leaned back and started cry some more. It was loud enough for Prue upstairs to hear and Piper to come running in from the kitchen. Piper stopped at the doorway and looked out on the scene.   
My body lay on the couch and Leo crying next to it, she immediately knew what had happened.  
"No." she said softly. She came next Leo and grabbed one of my lifeless hands. Prue who was in the middle of dressing came running down the staircase next. She had on pajama pants and had quickly put on a tank top. Piper looked up at her.   
She dropped to her knees and started sobbing hysterically. Cole shimmered in with a boquet of flowers in hand. He looked around and spotted me on the couch with sobbing people around me and I think he put two and two together.  
"Did she ever tell him?" Piper whispered to Leo.  
"What happened?" He asked as they moved to let him be next to me.   
"Apparently not." Leo whispered back as Cole started to cry onto my chest.  
"She, she had end stage Leukemia, Cole." Piper explained. Mom appeared next to me.  
"Mom!" I exclaimed.  
"Do you want to say goodbye?" she asked I nodded. She took my hand and we appeared next to Prue.  
"Mom!Phoebe!" Piper wiped her tears away. She tried to hug me but her arms went right through me.  
"Sorry." She said.  
"It's okay. I just came back to say goodbye. You guys don't have to worry about me, I'll be with Mom and Grams." Cole still looked heartbroken.  
"Come here." I told him, motioning for him to follow me into the foyer.  
"Phoebe, I love you. Don't go."  
"I have to, it's my time. But just because I'm gone, don't give on good. I'll be watching over you, Cole. Help my sisters to restore the power of three, okay." He nodded solemnly.  
"I will do my best."  
"Thank-you." We walked back into the living room where Prue and Piper were sitting on the couch with Mom.  
"Where's Leo?" I asked when we entered.  
"The elders called him away for a second but said that we should stay." Mom told me. A few seconds later, Leo orbed in with the biggest smile on his face.  
"Why are you smiling, Leo?" He came to stand next to me, and whispered something in my ear.  
"Oh really! I get to! That is so cool." I felt the smile wash over my face too.  
"What is it Pheebs?" Prue asked.  
"Your gonna love this." I made my way around the coffee table and knelt in front of Piper.  
"What?" Piper was starting to get worried. I placed my hands on her stomach and it started to glow.  
"No. Really?" She asked.  
"Yes. You are pregnant. And I'd watch out, from what Leo told me, she's gonna be just like me." I said with a laugh. Everyone had a smile on there face now. I stood back up with Mom, and I felt the warm summer sun feeling again.  
"I'll always be watching over you guys. I love you." And with that we disappeared.  



End file.
